Placing apparatus



4Oct. 16, 1934. M NAPlER ET AL, 1,977,348

PLAC ING APPARATUS Filed May 15, 193s s sheets-smet 2 Ocala, 1934.'k M J. mman UAL 1,977,348

y. PLACING APPARATUS Filednay 151935. s sheets-sheet s Patented Oct. 16, 1934 HUNITE1 v .STATES PATENT OFFICE Melvin .Tr-Napier, Akron, andAlbert B. Schultz,V Cleveland; 011i v Y ,l

f "Appiicatiop'May 15,v 1933, serial N.. 67y1,27o Y.

12 claims.

Our. :invention relates to apparatus for and methods ofA handling plastic vulcanizable mate'- rial-and it lhas particular relation to apparatus for and method of constructing rubber contain- Infthe past and at present, manufacturers of automobile oor mats; stairtreads and similar ar- V ticles composed of'a -plurality of plies of material united by v- Vulcanization have experienced V conv1' siderable difliculty in the proper positioning Vof lower mold-portion, the perforated feltfis posi- ,f

tioned on the steel plate by lining the latter with scratches, the apertures in the felt are filled with a plurality of y loose blocks or fillets and other metal strips are positioned around .the felt to dene the unpadded border of the mat, the rubber sheet is then positioned over the mat and .approximately positionedby otherscratches on -the steel plate andV thena hard rubbermold part duce the desired tread surface on the mat is, possi- Y tioned inthe same manner upon the rubber sheet. lIt has been considered impossible to suitablydowel the steel plate and the upper mold parttogether because of the fact that the rubber, of whichthe moldfpart is-formed shrinks with use.u

The primary objectv of our invention is to obviate thediiiicultie's coincident with thev ,present ap- Y paratus and'process' bythe provision of mechanism capable'of accurately positioning the' constituent parts of l' a mat 'and retaining'th'em in proper position during `vulcaniza'tion.

Another-object of our invention'is the 'provision of vulcanizing apparatus for mats and the like Whichwill materially decrease the"V labor lrequired and cost'of mat construction.v j i' K Another object of the invention' is to providea novel placing apparatus-for accurately positioning articles-in'molds. v 1 Y f. f Another objectjof our inventiongis to provide la novel mold.Y Y, i A Our inventive ,concept-also contemplates a novel method of making automobilevmats -or similar articles'ofmanufacture.

For a beter,,understanding-Spf the. invention formed corrugated-or otherwiseV formed to `proy `'partially brokenfaway, of. a portion of the mat y construction made in accordance with our inveninfthe accompanying drawings, Ya placing apparai g tus indicatedgenerally as 12 consists of a rectan- ,ingl temperatures and is provided With a pair of reference may nowbe had to the4 accompanying drawings, forming apart of the disclosure, wherein:

,g Figure'l `is a perspective View, partially broken away to conserve space, illustrating an article Y placing apparatus involvingcertain of. the novel features of Y our ,invention with a preformed felt sheetpositioned therein; 1

Figure 2 is a sim-ilarview of a portion of the apparatus shown in Figure lina different condi- .'65

tion associated Witha mold part and havingfa sheet of `rubber in position therein;

Figure 3 is atop planview ofthe mold part shown in Figure-2;` f l Figure -4 is a bottom plan Vview @of the upper 70 mold part; t

Figure 5, is,a perspective-view of the upper and .lower moldlparts in assembled relation;

Figure` 6 is'a sectional View ltaken substantially along 1ine-6`6 of Figure 5; Y 75 FigurefIisa-sectional View, Apartially broken Aawayand-` taken substantially along line 7--7 of Fiugre l;

'Figure 8. is al sectional view similar to Vthat vshown :in Figure Twith the placer device removed and illustrating the disposition of therubber sheet and vfelton-the lower mold part in readiness for association of thev upper mold par-t therewith;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective View,

Figure 2 illustrating an eccentric dcwel utilized to Abring about proper association` of parts in spite of irregularities -ineitheriof the parts.

yIn the embodiment of ourinvention illustrated gularvvopen. template. 13, ahframe 174 -secured to the template 13 .and connected by a cablev 15 v passingwover pulleys 16`to `a suspended counter- :balancing weight lfya rectangular open vtemplate- ,vv-lS `hingedly connected as indicatedatlf) tothe ,template1 3; and angelongated template 20 also `hinge'dly-connected,to the-template lBas indicated at 21. -Abottommold part122 iscut in the .usual manner to define a cavity Afor for-ming they rubber-sheet which isto constitute the upper layer ofthe completed mat. The mold part 22 is vpreferablyconstructed of hard rubber which will not fuse ,with rthe material of the matat vulcaniz- Vrubber sheet 29 and is provided with slots 30 at" either side for reception of the dowels 24 for positioning the placer 12 and bottom mold part 22 in their predetermined associated relation. The slots 30 are provided in order that the dowels 24 may be movable with respect to template 13 in order to nt within the dowel holes 23 and tightened in position even though theA bottom mold part may be somewhat warped from its Yoriginal shape.

As shown the template 18 is provided .withl a rectangular downwardly projecting portion 31 which nts within the recess 29 of the template 13 and bears upon the rubberv sheet 29 in use of the device to denne the unfelted vportion of, the rear surface of the mat whereas the center of the entire template 18 is cut out as' indicated at 49 to receive a preformed mat 32 of felt orthe like which has relatively large apertures 33 therethrough at points where the rubber sheet 29 is later to be cut out for operating devices ofthe automobile with which the mat is to be used.`

The template 20, as shown,- c'arrie's at its free end a depending block 34 designed in the lowered position of the template to extend flushwith thel bottom of the template 13. A triangular aperture 35 is formed centrally of the'block'34 and extends through the template 20 through'which material, for example a triangular piece`48 of colored rubber may be accurately positioned'upon the lower mold part 22 to constitute a trade-mark or other representation.

Obviously, thev template 20 could be of any desired form and be variably perforated to accurately position in the Vmold the 4material representing a trade-mark or ornamentations on the to-p surface of the finished mat. The' upper mold part 27 preferably formed of a pad of cloth'or other flexible fibrous material and bent centrally to define an imperforate top sheet 36 having 'affixed to its under surface a hollow rectangular spacing element 37 of brous material and 'a Ybottom sheet 38 cut out as indicated at39` to tthe mat 32, a plurality of pressure members 40'designed to pass through the preformed apertures 333in the mat 32 to engage the rubber sheet 29 are permanently secured tothe sheet 36.`

The dowels 24 which are necessary in order to properly assemble the parts, even 'though one or more of the parts be warped from its original shape, comprise a centrally apertured'w'asher 41 provided with an eccentrically positioned bossV 42 of a size to snugly fit within the aperture 23 or 25, as the case may be, in the bottom mold part 22, a centrally apertured washer 43 and a machine screw 44 having a tapered head"45fitting ush with the top of the washer 43 by reason ofcountersinking 46 therein. The machine screw 44 lhas threaded connection with the boss 42. Obviously, this construction permits entrance 'of'jthe dowel and the securing thereof Vin various positions.

In operation of our novel apparatus','thev placer apparatus 12 would be inV elevated position directly above the lower mold part 22, the latter resting of dowels 26 engaging in dowel holes 25. The

each being apertured to-conform to the shape ofi' .an article to be positioned in the mold.

Icle'to be positioned in the mold.

" ture 'of the first mentioned template.

on a work table (not shown). The placer apparatus 12 would then be lowered into position over the mold part 22 and securely doweled thereto by means of the dowels 24 in the dowel holes 23, after which the template or apron 20 would be lowered and material be spotted in the mold through the aperture 35. The template 20 would then be raised and rested against supporting frame member 47. The sheet 29 of rubber would then be positioned within the recess 28 of the template 13, and the template or apron 18 would be' lowered into position as best shown in Figure 1 of the. drawings. The preformed felt mat 32 would then be positioned upon the rubber sheet 29and within'the recess of the template 18 after which the placer apparatus is released from the bottom mold part 22 and elevated.

`vThe upper mold part 27 is then placed and secured in position upon the lower mold by means mold and'content's are then in the condition as indicated bythe sectional view, Figure 6, in readiness fo'r application of pressure andvulcanization inthe usual manner. Y

From the foregoing detailed description ofthe a method of and apparatus for utilizing itfin the manufacture of an automobile mat, it is apparent that by reason of our invention, a great saving of time and labor in the manufacture of such articles willresult. Gi015 Although we have illustrated only one form which our invention may assume and have described thatform in detail, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not "so limited but that various minor modificab tionsmay be made therein without departing from the spirit of our invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:` M 1. Apparatus for placing articles in a moldl]l5 comprising in combination, a mold,V a hollow frame, means for securing the frame in predetermined position over the mold, and a template pivotally connected to the frame and apertured?. to Aconform to the's'hape of an article to be posi-"`120 tioned inthe mold.

2. Apparatus for placing articles in a mold comprising in combination, a mold, a hollow frame,

means for securing the frame in predetermined.

position over the mold, and a template hinged to and overlying the frame and apertured to conform tothe shape of an article to be positioned iso prismg 1n vcombmatiorn, a mold, aframe, means for securing the frame in predetermined position over the mold, and a template pivotally connected to the frame, the frame and the template 4. Apparatus for placing articles in a mold comprising in combination, a mold, a frame, means vfor securing the frame in predetermined position over the mold'and a plurality of templates piv- 7140 otally connected to the frame and selectively movable substantially into the plane of the frame,

- the frame and each of the templates being apertured to conform to the shape of a different arti- 5145 5. Placing apparatus comprising, a template formed'with anl aperture of predetermined size, and a second template pivotally connected thereto and formed with a part fitting within the amr-,150

6. Placing apparatus comprising a plurality of pivotally connected apertured templates one of which is formed with a part fitting Within the aperture in the other template.

'7. Placing apparatus comprising a plurality of pivotally connected apertured templates Wherein the free end of one of the templates is capable of movement through the aperture in the other template.

8. Placing apparatus comprising a plurality of pivotally connected apertured templates one of which is formed with a part iitting within the .aperture of another template wherein the free end of one ofl the templates is capable of movement through the aperture in another template.

9. Placing apparatus comprising a plurality of pivotally connected aperturecl templates one of Which is formed With a part fitting Within the aperture of another template wherein the free end of one of the templates is capable of move-- ment through the apertures in the other templates.

plurality of templates pivotally connected to the base and selectively movable substantially into the plane thereof.

12. In combination, a mold part formed with dowel receiving apertures, and a placing apparatus provided with adjustable dowels for securing the apparatus in predetermined position on the mold part.

MELVIN J. NAPIER. ALBERT B. SCI-IULTZ. 

